22 December 2022; LAUSANNE – The International Olympic Committee has given
its approval for World Aquatics to allow men to participate in the Artistic
Swimming competitions at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (Artistic Swimming was
formerly known as synchronised swimming until 2017).
Men will now be eligible to compete
in the team event. There are eight competitors in each team. The new rules will
permit a maximum of two men to compete in each team at the Olympic Games. Ten
teams are expected to compete.
Artistic Swimming has been in the
Olympic Games since 1984, and this will be the first time that men have been
eligible to be included in a team at the Games. Men have been allowed to
compete at the FINA World Aquatics Championships since 2015.
This is a day of celebration for
those who have campaigned for the inclusion of men in the sport at the Olympic
Games and who have pioneered men’s participation.
Bill May (USA) has been one of the
leading voices in lobbying for this change. The first-ever male World Champion,
in the inaugural mixed duet technical event at the FINA World Aquatics
Championships in 2015, he is now a coach.
"The inclusion of men in Olympic
Artistic Swimming was once considered the impossible dream. This proves that we
should all dream big. The male athletes have endured. Now, through their
perseverance and the help and support of so many, all athletes may stand
alongside each other equally, reaching for Olympic glory."
Giorgio Minisini (Italy) is one of
the leading men currently competing in the sport. He was World Champion at the
FINA World Aquatics Championships in the mixed duet technical routine in 2017 and
2022.
"This announcement marks a
milestone in Artistic Swimming history. Our sport's evolution towards
inclusivity is going on fast forward, and this decision from IOC and World
Aquatics will help us become an example for the whole Olympic movement. As one
of the most popular sports in the Games, we are ready to share the Olympic
motto around the world louder than ever: “Faster, Higher, Stronger –
Together”.”
“Aquatics sports are universal and
men have proven themselves to be excellent artistic swimmers. I look forward to
seeing this new dimension of Artistic Swimming being shared with the world in
Paris. The inclusion of men in Artistic Swimming is a great credit to all those
who have worked for many years to make this happen,” said World Aquatics President
Captain Husain Al-Musallam.
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